Additional Attribute
by Wicked R
Summary: When Elizabeth learns the navy has a plan to hunt down Jack Sparrow, she sets sail once more to warn him. Obviously Sparrabeth.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Recompense

Author: WickedRum

Disclaimer: I have no right to use these characters, Disney does. I do so mostly for my own entertainment.

Summary/Pairing: When Elizabeth learns the navy has a plan to hunt down Jack Sparrow, she sets sail once more to warn him. Obviously Sparrabeth.

Set: post AWE.

Genre: romance/angst.

Rating: probably PG 13, for violence.

Captain Jack Sparrow's blockade of Roatan, Cap Francais and alternatively, Saint Georges was a well known operation in the Spanish Main to be avoided by all merchant and most pirate ships alike.

When Elizabeth's first heard about Jack's recent luck she could hardly believe it. Not only did Jack get his Pearl back a few years ago, but he had also acquired a couple of other, lighter vessels as well. Then with the Pearl as his flagship he first ordered for all three anchors to be dropped a little off just before Saint Georges harbor and he took up residency there for weeks, not letting any ship in or out without giving them a percentage of their cargo. It worked like taxation really, and it worked really well.

For the couple of years Elizabeth kept hearing about him blocking off different harbors on a regular basis only two of the ships they attacked was sunk and there tended to be no casualties either, the trick had worked simply on reputation only, the reputation of a victorious ship that came out as the winner over the Flying Dutchman once and the one that was famed to have sent the HMS Endavour to the depths.

Jack, once again, has used the power of legend very well, but Elizabeth was surprised he kept coming back. Although dangerous for the navy to know you will turn up by one of those three harbors at some point, the whole thing just seemed too routine and well organized for Jack. Wanting to ask him the explanation for it was something that was nagging her for long, but she hoped she'd finally have the chance to do so, although the reason for her meeting him was not the most pleasant. With her located in Port Royal and mingling with ex acquaintances of her father she came to believe Jack was going to be attacked by all three first rate ships of the line of the East India Trading Company stationed in the Caribbean, under the command of Lord Warlow, adamant on making his mark.

As soon as she learned about the plan she asked her neighbor, wife of lieutenant Pembroke if she could take care of her son for her as she thought leaving him with a naval officer's family would be the safest in any case and boarded the Tree Bark, a small merchant ship heading to Roatan with necessities, hoping Captain Sparrow will be at Tortuga where he was alleged to spend his time between blockades.

Elizabeth too, was hoping her old rescuer would be in Tortuga as well, for different reasons, but she was wrong. The sound and smoke of the ongoing battle reached them first before they could identify the ships before them, but by then Elizabeth was already gone in one of the longboats, her weapon hidden under her skirt. If she was belated, Jack could at least use those skills Will once thought her of wielding a sword. In the midst of the deafening explosions of the cannons, making the Pearl rock as she climbed aboard she went instantly into action, not minding the smell of burning flesh and the splinters of the main mast. She briefly caught a sight of Pintel and Ragetti running to outdodge the bombardment, but otherwise she could see noone she recognized. No matter, she would know which side to fight on and kicked one of the redcoats in the face when he tried to climb up after her. The deck was scattered with navy men and pirates alike, it was impossible to determine which side had the advantage. She held her cutlass up amongst the sounds of things breaking, canon and gun fire, the clashing of swords. There was the thump of a fallen pirate behind her, but she didn't have time to look who it was. She blocked an attack and registered a bullet whizzing past her head and penetrating the mast instead before shoving her opponent out the way, her mind focused on one thing and one thing only, finding Jack, making sure he was all right. Maybe she should try the helm. She spun round over and over again, more defending herself on her way up to the wheel than anything else.

A redcoat with full admiral markings was up there and as he moved a bit to the side she could see Jack challenging his sword with his own blade, a sequence of movements that seemed quite easy for him, but Elizabeth had enough knowledge of the use of swords to know that was anything but effortless.

Somebody swung at her, forcing her back to a battle of her own and to bring her cutlass up high to stop the blow. She jumped back, then slammed her cutlass one way, before slashing the other way quickly, confusing her opponent, something she had seen from Jack himself. Her pleased smile didn't come to life though when the man fell down the stairs unbalanced as most people froze at a gunshot ringing out a lot closer than the others coming from the other ships.

The man she recognized as Lord Warlow, present chairman of East India Trading was obviously less withdrawn in battle than his predecessor. Holding onto the rigging and standing on top of the railing he fired one single shot only a few feet away from Jack and right into the middle of the pirate captain's chest. He made a "you're welcome" gesture at the admiral and swung off the way he came, his job done. With their pirate lordie down, the rest of the pirates will give up quickly, he knew that with utter certainly from experience.

The force of the hit pushed Jack with his back to the wheel, but his right hand was still feebly holding up his cutlass even with his strength gone, a fountain of blood having found its place in his chest. His eyes searched for aim in marvel, trying to find the location the scream of a woman came from than anything else.

The admiral found himself distracted by the same source and taking advantage of it, Elizabeth put such an amount of force in her stab than ever before, burying the whole length of her cutlass in the officer's side. Nothing would stand in her anger and her way to the other man with a mortal wound she came to see in the first place to tell him so many things, all of which could be expressed with three simple words she shouted desperately at him while trying to break his fall as he slipped down to his side, cutlass spiraling down with a clunk when life left him.

"I love you!" Elizabeth had no idea if he'd heard her as he took his last labored breath. She screamed again, shaky and drawn out till her voice drowned in a sob. Some time later, Elizabeth didn't know or care how much she was jolted out of the buzzing void she found herself in by somebody touching her.

"Drop yer weapon, Mrs. Elizabeth," Gibbs held his hand on her shoulder, "we have to surrounder to the navvy."

tbc


	2. Diversionary Formulation

Chapter 2: Diversionary Formulation

Elizabeth looked up at Gibbs slowly. She saw the older man nodding at her encouragingly. She didn't understand why he wasn't dropping to his knees by his fallen captain, why wasn't he overwrought, or at least looking for his rum in exasperation. He had been after all, a good friend to Jack, one who'd been rather quiet and sometimes caught with a tear in his eyes while Jack was in the locker.

Finally the older pirate did come down next to them, but only to pry the handle of her cutlass out her rigid fingers. "They are all around us," he tried to convince her, "we don't want ye shot."

Elizabeth didn't feel like it would've mattered to her. Why did it matter to Gibbs? They were all dead anyway, either way, "but they'll hang everybody!"

"Mrs. Elizabeth. The whole crew be immortal wit us heaving found the fountain of youth," he whispered, "all but ye."

"The whole..." Elizabeth eyes went back to Jack and his unmoving chest, crimson coloring his and her clothes and the deck around them.

"Aye, aye," Gibbs assured her, "although with that blood loss it might take him about an hour to revitalize. We could fight on, no doubt, but there'd be too much damage fe our ships. Better this way. We can crawl away from wherever they are putting out bodies afterwards. The one I'm worried about be ye."

"Well, well," Lord Warlaw walked up to them, "there was always this pertinency about you, Mrs. Turner and with your choices of who to wed, but this! Who is Jack Sparrow to you? Oh, correction, who was he to you?"

Elizabeth lifted her chin. If she was going to die for it, she'd at least do it as pertly as was possible, like a slap in the face for Lord Warlow, shocking him out of his wits, "he was my lover, the one who gave me freedom and the world, my soul mate, my destiny..."

"Enough, enough," Lord Warlow waved her off wincing, "if he means so much to you then accompany him? You belong in the same grave," he said disgusted.

"Grave?" Elizabeth echoed. Pirate bodies were more likely to be given for the fish.

"I need to take him to land to bear witness I really took him, noone would have it otherwise with those silly tales about some Kraken and world's end. But we're not going far. Roatan will do, gallows can easily be built," he waved two of his men to move the body and called after them, "you can shoot her when you've lowered him into his grave."

tbc


	3. Aweigh

Chapter 3: Aweigh

Waking from violent deaths was never gentle. This was Jack's third time after the fountain and he could count it the first with such substantial damage that he took more than a few minutes to come to. It had to be, since he was on land, he felt the hard, but gravelly ground under himself. Partly not to raise suspicion, but also because he anticipated the stabbing pain in his chest accentuating if he moved, he first peered his eyes open a little, not sensing any people around. It was always best to keep still till he healed completely. He was in a dark place and as if the sky was even further away then usual. Some dirt landed on his face and when he blew and rubbed it out his eyes he could see the flash of shovels and redcoats above him and he realized if he didn't do something, his dying number five was on the way and would probably be the most unpleasant of all, not to mention it would take him another couple of deaths till he could've clawed his way out the closed gave. Gritting his teeth against the pain he moved a hand to touch for his pistol, thankfully still in place. The shifting of his muscles made him cough, creating yet another piercing knifelike sensation penetrating his ribs that made him shiver, but he knew he had to act quickly, the men would've heard the noise. He shot three times in quick succession and out of the three navy man he could detect, two tumbled right on top of him, the third was half hanging motionless over the edge. Great, now he was going to suffocate under the dead weight of some overindulging servicemen. He cried out under the pressure this time as the air was knocked out of him, there was noone around he had to mind his pride for. He stayed there nevertheless a little while more, gathering strength to climb out, both physically and mentally. He remembered his last moments, yet another man he could count amongst his foes, Lord Warlow, Gibbs' fleeting disgruntled look since the older man had told him it was just one blockade too much to dare and finally Elizabeth! Where did she come from? He didn't hallucinate her, did he? He tended to do that when close to death, but he would've never dreamt her immersing a sword till the hilt in someone, then telling him she loved him?? Yes, sure, Lizzie had fancied him at times, he knew that, every woman did, but her love for William seemed so deep rooted he didn't seriously think it would falter. Maybe it was a hallucination after all, wishful thinking, he rolled his eyes and then he noticed it.

An additional human hand that was hanging off the side of his grave! Thin, clean, delicate and unmoving, the sleeve of the clothes worn was visible at the wrist, and although it was dripping of blood he could see it was otherwise comprising of the same ocean blue he had seen somewhere that day. On Elizabeth!

He threw the bodies off himself as if dusting off sand and jumped up, the effects of his effort only catching up with him when he fell to his side next to the woman in blue. He initially closed his eyes involuntarily against the dizziness that was still an issue due to his full blood flow not being completely replenished yet, but he hesitated to open them. His just healed heart was pumping wildly, each beat sending twinges all round his body, yet he was frozen with dread. He balled his fists to encourage himself and blinked at Elizabeth fearfully. Now it felt like as if his heart lowered in his chest, it would've probably hit the rock he was lying on if it could at the sight. He'd seen enough people dead in his life to know with utter certainly what the bluish gray cast of her skin and the rigidity of her expression meant, but he watched her chest for signs of her breathing all the same. He slowly brought a hand up to his mouth and bit his own knuckles. He frantically began to look for something in his inside pockets, then just as frantically uncorked the rum flask he pulled out, dropped the top of it into the grave in his hurry, but didn't notice it happening and lifted the neck of the container to her lips. He practically emptied all the contents into her mouth with shaking hands, disregarding that she didn't swallow, disregarding that he would have to go back for more youth water to the fountain if he used all of it up this carelessly, disregarding that since she was already dead it wouldn't work. He checked once more, she wasn't moving and out of all things that angered him. He held the flask over her for a moment longer, then threw it in frustration and with some force in the direction his hand was moving first, making it lend next to the its top down the grave. He closed his eyes once more, biting his bottom lip and lowering his head into his palm.

"Turner! Turner! Turner! He made ye Turner and now ye 'ave t' do something stupid like the whelp! I was going t' go t' ye wit the water, ye should've jest waited! Why did ye come? This be no right!"

"Why?" Another Jack said sitting at the other side of Elizabeth, or more so, in his head, "ye died fe her, remember? It's her turn t' die fe ye now!"

"It's never her turn t' die if I can help it," Jack scolded the other one irritated, "cause I love her!" He looked down at Elizabeth with so much grief that the other Jack disappeared immediately, "I love ye, Lizzie," he traced her cold and wet cheeks thoughtfully, "I promise ye will live," he pulled his compass out determined, "I jest 'ave t' find the time passageway Tia Dalma was talking about. I'll go back to the past, I should've given the youth water to ye years ago, but I was afraid ye'd resist having me around ye know? Don't ye worry Lizzie..." He stood and looked into the direction his compass was pointing, back to the seas. He nodded at it, good direction, the sea's always that. He didn't look back again towards her, the navvy would come for their men, they'd bury her. He wasn't going to, he couldn't, it would be as if he'd acknowledge she'd died. He'd found Isla de Muerta, he'd found the dead man's chest, he'd found the fountain of youth, he'll not fail her. Where could they have taken the Pearl and the others? He walked briskly towards the beach, searching for his flagship.

It was this way he didn't notice that Elizabeth started to move her head, trying to get a bearing of her surroundings.

tbc


	4. Two And Two

Chapter 4: Two And Two

"Jack..."

The voice sounded no more powerful that the wind whispering, faint, indistinct and passing past his ears before he could register any pattern to it properly. Sometimes it was what he wanted most tricking him in his hallucinations, as if he didn't know what it would be already from looking at the compass.

"Jack." Sounded the well-known voice.

No, he won't turn back, playing that mind game would just be too painful. He winced and continued his walk, only even faster now, back to other people, back to Gibbs, that was the only way to stop the voices. Oh, going back in time, that would be good. He remembered past himself, closely just after he got the Pearl out of the depths, he was daring, looking bright and cocksure into the future. And what now? He owned three ships, including the Pearl, he was immortal and said to be the best pirate that ever lived, the only thing he didn't have was what he wanted most. Another hokum of his senseless mind. Cause how can you love someone who sentenced you to death? Mortal enemy you should call such and not eternal love.

"Jack!"

There it is again, stronger, pleading, urgent. Playing tricks on him like the real Elizabeth would. Maybe it was his own mind that was his mortal enemy and what you do with them? You run away as long as you could and when you can't you face them. He can't go on the most important adventure of his life crazy! Walking back, he wasn't surprised to see Lizzie sitting up, clutching her head where the bullet went in. With a goat grazing nearby, it was just the perfect picture of his sick mind. But why goats? He'll never figure that one out, but maybe it'd have to do with his distant Irish heritage. Never mind that. "Came to rescue me luv?" He joined in the game.

Elizabeth frowned, massaging her head, "my mistake. I tend to forget that it's Captain Jack Sparrow and he doesn't need rescuing all that much. Jack...I heard what you said, that you love me?"

"Aye, ye know I do Lizzie, I tell ye often enough," he answered sitting down next to the vision, there was no point to lying to a mental image.

"When?" She asked confused.

Jack shrugged, "well, all the time? When ye come fe me in the locker, before ye send me down wit me ship, when we're together on a desert island, every waking and not waking hour of the day when I'm alone, sometimes wit company too..."

Elizabeth pulled back, trying to put two and two together in her still fuzzy mind. So that's why he's not stunned I'm alive. "Do you think I'm a delusion, Jack? Does your hallucination ever do...this?" Without much ado she leaned over to him and touched his full lips softly with her own.

Jack didn't make a move, he didn't have to, his mind'd soon decide what it'd do all by itself, he never had much choice.

Elizabeth never hesitated to claim and convince him further, she put her arms around him, pulled him to her so that she made him look into her eyes from close, encouraging that eye contact Jack was ever only keen on with anyone if very intimate. Just one moment they were looking into the windows of each other's souls and Jack's ever so distracted eyes clouded with even more confusion. He took a slow breath while disentangling from her embrace and turning away with all his body. Under the cover of his hair, he touched his lips, still having some doubts, but more inclined to think she was really there now. He swallowed to be able to control the anxious tears that were threatening to spill when felt her hand on his shoulder.

"Jack. I'm really here," she said softly, desperately and bold at the same time, just like in the locker. "I tried my chances and took a few gulps from your flask on the way when we were brought here. I was hoping you'd keep the youth water with you and I was right. I'm alive, thanks to you, again."

Jack turned back, putting his hands on her arms, "I don't have to go anywhere..." He mumbled, meaning not having to find the time passageway anymore.

"No," Elizabeth smiled at him, misunderstanding the meaning, "I heard them saying they'd search the Pearl before sailing it to Port Royal, we have all the time in the world," she purred feeling the energy of the fountain buzz in her for the first time while she initiated an exploring, burning, restless kiss. Could even eternity ever put out that flame?

The End.


End file.
